Implementing Lessons Learned: Establishing A Culture of Evidence-Based Assessment
Lessons from establishing and managing multi-institution ......Lessons from establishing and...
Transcript of Lessons from establishing and managing multi-institution ......Lessons from establishing and...
Lessons from establishing and managing
multi-institution centres of research excellence
Catherine Spooner, 1,2 Lisa Lavey,3,4 and Chilandu Mukuka5
1 Centre for Obesity Management and Prevention Research Excellence in Primary Health Care 2 Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity, University of New South Wales 3 Centre of Research Excellence in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care 4 School of Rural Health, Monash University 5 Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, Australian National University
Outline
• Background
• Partnership model
• Study design
• Results
• Next step
Background
• Trend towards funding multi-institution centres
of research excellence (MICREs)
• Partnerships of universities + others
• APHCRI funded 9 MICREs in primary health
care
• Others exist e.g. those funded by NHMRC
Multi-Institution Centre of Research Excellence
Fund holder
Funder
Partner 4
Partner 3
HR Legal office
Ethics Research
office Partner 2
Partner 1
Partner x
Study Rationale
• Experience of the Coordinators/Managers
• Lack of information to guide management of a
MICRE
• Informal sharing of information between MICRE
managers – reinventing wheels
Study Objectives
• Document and disseminate lessons learned by
APHCRI MICREs
• Produce ‘tips’ for others planning or managing a
MICRE
• Provide information to assist future funders of
MICREs
Evidence-informed partnership model
Partnership model
Context & history
Funding rules
Previous experience of
investigators in
establishing and managing
a MICRE
Partnership model
Governance structures
Committees
Policies
Agreements
Monitoring mechanisms
Leadership
Partnership model
Interpersonal process -
relationships
Trust
Mutuality and autonomy
Conflict resolutions
Sense of ‘team’
Partnership model
Administrative process
Contracts
Budgets
Reporting to funding body
Recruitment
Implementation of
policies & decisions of
meetings
Risk management
Partnership model
Type & nature of
collaboration
Level of trust
Degree of efficiency
Commitment to the
partnership
Partner satisfaction
Partnership model
Outcomes
MICRE sustainability
MICRE profile
Achievement of MICRE
objectives
o Research capacity
o Research outputs
o KTE outputs
Study method
• Key informant consultations
N=21
– CRE Director / Chief Investigator n=9
– CRE manager/coordinator n=9
– Funding body: APHCRI n=2
– PHCRED evaluation team n=1
• Iterative development of draft document
Sample
• Number invited 21
• Number interviewed: 13 62%
– Directors 6/9
– Coordinators/Managers 4/9*
– Other 3/4#
• Response rate for MICREs: 6/9 67%
* Includes 2 investigators; # includes 1 investigator
Data collection
1. Specific problem
2. How unique to a MICRE?
3. Impact of the problem
4. Causes or contributors to problems
5. Lessons: how to avoid or manage next time
Results: Problems
• Budget – For postdocs
– For management & admin
• Contracts – Head Agreement
– Partner agreements
– In-kind support
– Allocation of funding
• Recruitment – Delayed appointment of manager
– Across institutions
• Communication – Communication infrastructure
– Meeting management
• Team – Investigator engagement
– Monitoring activities & outputs
– MICRE profile
Did the data fit
our model?
Example: MICRE profile
• Challenge: obtaining investigator support to raise the
profile of the MICRE
• Impact:
– Low MICRE profile – nobody knows to approach us
– Non-compliance with contractual clause
– Cannot report activities/outputs as MICRE achievements
• Unique to MICRE? Yes
Example: MICRE profile - Causes
• MICRE viewed as short-term project vs research centre
– Limited lifespan (4 years)
– A virtual centre, with no physical place
• Little apparent benefit in promoting the MICRE
– Investigator careers are with their institution - affiliation
• Acknowledging affiliation not always possible
• Variable investigator engagement with the MICRE
Example: MICRE profile - Lessons
• Early in the life of the
MICRE:
– Policy/Agreement
– Process for monitoring
– Provide templates/tools
• During the life of the
MICRE:
– circulate a list of
MICRE outputs
– positive and public
reinforcement
13 Problems documented and analysed
• Budget – For postdocs
– For management & admin
• Contracts – Head Agreement
– Partner agreements
– In-kind support
– Allocation of funding
• Recruitment – Delayed appointment of manager
– Across institutions
• Communication – Communication infrastructure
– Meeting management
• Team – Investigator engagement
– Monitoring activities & outputs
– MICRE profile
Lessons from the study
1. All 3 domains (admin, governance and relationships) are
necessary for effective functioning
2. MICREs’ experienced added complexity in all 3 domains
3. Most challenges could have been prevented:
a. during grant preparation – requires resources
b. At commencement of the MICRE – requires sufficiently
experienced, skilled and resourced coordinator
appointed early
Next step
Tips document to be developed and disseminated
e.g. posted on PHCRIS website
To be on a mail list for the tips document:
Catherine Spooner [email protected]
Lisa Lavey [email protected]
Chilandu Mukuka [email protected]
Thank you
This research is a project of the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, which is supported
by a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health. The information and opinions
contained in it do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the Australian Primary Health Care
Research Institute or the Australian Government Department of Health.